Hazards in the news this weekend

(Map from BBC news website)

Two things that caught my interest this week were the dust storm in Sydney. Want to know more then CBBC newsround has lots of detail and photographs BBC NEWSROUND

Also in the news this week is Tropical Storm Ketsana in the Philippines which has triggered the worst flooding in decades in the capital Manila and nearby provinces.

Footage of the aftermath is on the BBC NEWS WEBSITE.

Look here for pictures

This part of the BBC website has some really good explanations of how hazards like this occur.

Why do you think that Typhoons don't usually occur in the UK. A credit if you come and tell me.

Want to know more about The Philippines then BBC can help you.

Year 11 People and the Physical World - Plate Tectonics

The first task I would like you to do is to sort out your folder so that you have all your Plate Tectonic notes in one place. I then want you to make a contents page using the titles from your notes - this needs to be printed out.

Next I want you to create a glossary for this unit. Again I want you to type it out. This should be emailed to me by the end of the lesson. There are at least 20 words that you need to know related to plate tectonics. I would work through your textbook pages 6-22 typing out any word and definition that you think is important. The glossary at the back is also useful (page 239). Why not download some flashcards from Mr. Chambers website.

Whilst we are there I suggest that you start to explore this amazing blog from Mr. Chambers - is this the answer to all your revision problems? Also the geobytes website will be really useful to aid your revision.

I want to use a site called voicethread to help you revise and to share our notes. In order to do this you need to create a voicethread user-profile (please put in as little personal information as possible as this can be seen online by others). After you have created a user profile go to this picture log on and answer the question that I have created. I want you all to do this by tomorrow's lesson. You won't be able to see your comments until I have moderated them! But then everyone will be able to use them.

Finished? Please begin to do the same with your rivers notes

Landslides!

Below you will find the information that we used in today's lesson. This will help you write the essay that I set for you.

Physical (natural) causes of landslides
Landslides can be natural events. There are several physical factors that can lead to a landslide. If there is a period of torrential rainfall this will saturate the soil on the slope and could cause the soil to move quickly downhill. Landslides often happen during hurricanes. If the base of the cliff is eroded by the sea then the rock above it will collapse causing a landslide. This is especially true if the cliff is made up off material that is easily eroded. If the rock is a weak sedimentary rock made of different layers (we call these bedding planes) then it is more likely to cause a landslide as the top layer can slide away. Landslides have a number of other physical ‘triggers.’ Earthquakes can cause landslides as they shake the ground. Volcanoes can cause landslides to occur as they add weight and liquid (lava) to the slope.

Human causes of landslides
Human activity can increase the probability of landslides. Cities are especially vulnerable. In poor countries (LEDCs) people have cut down trees and removed vegetation on slopes so that they can build houses. The roots of this vegetation binds the soil together and protects it from heavy rainfall keeping the slope stable, if vegetation is removed the slope is more at risk of landslides. (We call this deforestation) Placing buildings on slopes increases the weight on a slope and again increases the chance of a landslide. Humans sometimes can undercut (excavation) the bottom of slopes and this increases the instability of the slope and can again cause landslides. Often it is a combination of human and physical processes that cause landslides.

Background and facts
Recent studies rank landslides as thirteenth among natural hazards in terms of the impact they have on humans. Between 1945 and 1990 there were 33 landslides with death tolls of more than 50. These killer events result from large and rapid movement of material down slopes which then bury people and buildings. Worldwide the average death toll from landslides is thought to be about 600 per year. It is difficult to measure the deaths caused by landslides as they often occur with other hazards. Mountainous areas in the tropics that experience hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes or heavy rainfall are especially vulnerable to landslides. Japan experiences a large number of landslides because of its snow melt, typhoons, geology and volcanic eruptions. Landslides can leave people homeless, can disrupt transport and can bury or sweep away people and buildings.

Photographs of landslides - look here for some visual images of landslides in Italy

Year 8 Tourism

In this week's lesson we have been looking at the tricky question of tourism and development. Tourism and tourists brings money into an area and the tourist industry creates jobs. The facilities and infrastructure (look this word up!) that tourists demand, can be used by the locals.

However tourism can also bring problems (environmetal, cultural and social). Often the money created does not stay in the country.

In the video it was suggested that there is a ''middle way''. We introduced the idea of ''sustainable tourism''

Your homework is to look at the Bloomfield Lodge website. I am interested to see who does this, so please come to the lesson with answers to the following questions:

1. What is the price of a 4 night stay and what does it include?
2. Would you be welcome (a merit to anyone who anwers this in detail!)

3. In which rainforest is Bloomfield Lodge located?

Now write a definition of ecotourism - this link will help you.

I asked you to design an ecotourist holiday - 7 days - this link will get you started

Finally - For a MERIT - some people sometimes call ecotourism ''EGOTOURISM'' why do you think this is?

New India - Year 9

This post provides links for the ''New India'' unit we are currently working on. Most of the links are taken from the Geography Teaching today website.

India factsheet

Key facts from the BBC

Scroll to the bottom of this page for lots of links for Incredible India

From ''Bollywood to a billion'' links here

Struggling with the assessment paragraph on globalisation? Try here for lots of facts and links

Old India/New India?

Hello world

Tomorrow's India

Coastal homework for 8B at Mulberry School for Girls.

Follow the links to some activities that you will find helpful as a follow up to today's lesson. I would like to see evidence that you have visited my site and tried to improve the knowledge that you gained in the lesson. Remember the key words we used today were: stack, stump, arch, headland, bays, beach, cave, erosion, deposition, transportation, industry, abrasion, corrosion, hydraulic action, attrition.

Red homework - What am I looking for? I would like to see the erosion key words (erosion, corrosion, hydralic action, attrition), written in your books, show me that you have tried to remember them (drawings might help). You should try to learn how to spell them and what they mean. These animations might help you.

Need some more help? Click here for some definitions (look at the bottom of the page).

Ready for more? Try this for a matching the key words exercise (it is timed, so try to work it out before you begin).

Orange homework - What am I looking for? I would like to see at least 5 of the key words written in your books with the definitions. These animations will help. Here is a reminder of what some of them mean (look at the bottom of the page).

I would also like you to draw a labelled diagram to show how headlands are eroded. Need some help? Then try here for some ideas.

Green homework - what am I looking for? I would like to see a labelled diagram to show how headlands are eroded. Try to use the key words (there is an actvity here). Here is a page that will give you some ideas of what to include.

Ready for more? Why not watch the podcast of erosional landforms and write down 4 things you learn.

Year 9 - New India

As part of our first lesson ''Everything comes from India'' I asked you to gather some facts and information that could form part of our introduction to our newspaper article. Please come to next lesson with at least 8 facts. Try to think about what makes an interesting, relevant fact. I have posted some links below. When collecting your facts you should consider what might grab the reader's attention? There are some links below to help you.

Remember I also suggested that you improved our notes from the Market Place information gathering game - so look at the BBC website for the the information we used.

India facts website

CIA Factbook

Woodlands Junior School in the UK have a neat India page

Want something ith a little more detail - what about wikipedia

India.gov has some really interesting material.

The Geography of dreams and (unacceptable behaviour)

Can we map our dreams and wishes, would there be a pattern to them - How are peoples' wishes different? Do they change depending on where you live in a country or the world? Does age or gender matter? What do you want? What would you change? What is acceptable and what is unacceptable? This research aims to find some basic patterns to show what people dream for and where. It will also discover what you think is most unacceptable in life and if some parts of the country/world think that kissing in public is more acceptable than others....You must be in KS3 (Years 7, 8 or 9) to take part in this research. The data will be made available to you and your school from http://www.ggip.co.uk/ later in the year.

So please find time to fill this form in. I hope to create some space on moodle to let you discuss your thoughts and answers.

(Thanks to Daniel Raven-Ellison and other members at the GA conference in the UK for coming up with the idea and creating the quiestionnaire)